US6277052B1ExpiredUtility

Method and system for passively exercising selected portions of a human body

80
Priority: May 28, 1998Filed: Jan 24, 2000Granted: Aug 21, 2001
Est. expiryMay 28, 2018(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kenneth W. Howard
A61H 2201/1623A61H 2205/082A61H 2205/086A61H 9/005A61H 2205/12A61H 2205/10A61H 2201/164A61H 2205/087A61H 19/32A61H 2205/081
80
PatentIndex Score
41
Cited by
7
References
30
Claims

Abstract

A method and system for passively exercising a selected portion of a human body by applying a partial vacuum pressure to the selected portion of the human body; maintaining the partial vacuum pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a first predetermined period of time; releasing the partial vacuum pressure so that substantially atmospheric pressure is applied to the selected portion of the human body; and maintaining the substantially atmospheric pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a second predetermined period of time.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for passively exercising a selected portion of a human body, the method comprising the steps of: 
       (a) applying a partial vacuum pressure to the selected portion of the human body;  
       (b) maintaining the partial vacuum pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a first predetermined period of time;  
       (c) releasing the partial vacuum pressure so that substantially atmospheric pressure is applied to the selected portion of the human body;  
       (d) maintaining the substantially atmospheric pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a second predetermined period of time; and  
       (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) through (d) to the selected portion of the human body a preselected number of times.  
     
     
       2. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure to the selected portion of the human body further comprises controlling the maximum vacuum pressure with a pressure regulator. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  1  wherein the steps of applying and releasing further comprise connecting a first port of a three-way valve in fluid communication with the selected portion of the human body, connecting a second port of the three-way valve in fluid communication with vacuum pressure, connecting a third port of the three-way valve in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure, and wherein the step of applying further comprises actuating the three-way valve so that fluid communication is established between the first port and the second port but shut off between the first port and the third port, and the step of releasing further comprises actuating the three-way valve so that fluid communication is established between the first port and the third port but shut off between the first port and the second port. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim  1  wherein the selected portion of the human body is selected from a group consisting of fatty tissue, muscle tissue, a breast, a penis, a portion of a leg, a foot, a portion of an arm, an arm, a portion of a back, a healing portion of skin, and a wrinkled portion of skin. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing the selected portion of the human body to form a sealed portion of the human body to which the partial vacuum pressure may be applied and controlled. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing the selected portion of the human body with a sealing device to form a sealed portion of the human body to which pressure may be applied and controlled, and the step of releasing further comprises injecting substantially pure oxygen into the sealing device until the pressure in the sealing device is substantially atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing the selected portion of the human body with a sealing device to form a sealed portion of the human body to which pressure may be applied and controlled, and the step of releasing further comprises releasing atmospheric air into the sealing device until the pressure in the sealing device is substantially atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  1  wherein the selected portion of the human body is a woman's breast, and the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing off the breast so that a partial vacuum pressure may be applied to the breast and controlled to enhance the size of the breast. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim  1  wherein the selected portion of the human body is a woman's breast, and the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing off the breast so that pressure may be applied to the breast and controlled, and wherein the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time are each from about 3 seconds to about 12 seconds, to enhance the size of the breast. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim  1  wherein the selected portion of the human body is fatty tissue, and the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing off the fatty tissue so that a partial vacuum pressure may be applied to the fatty tissue and controlled to remove at least a portion of the fatty tissue. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim  1  wherein the selected portion of the human body is fatty tissue, and the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure further comprises sealing off the fatty tissue so that a partial vacuum pressure may be applied to the fatty tissue and controlled, and wherein the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time are each from about 1 second to about 5 seconds. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  1  wherein the partial vacuum pressure is from about 5 kPa of vacuum to about 40 kPa of vacuum, and typically from about 10 kPa of vacuum to about 30 kPa of vacuum, and preferably about 20 kPa of vacuum. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  1  wherein the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time are each from about 1 second to about 5 seconds. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim  1  wherein the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time are each from about 3 seconds to about 12 seconds. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim  1  wherein at least ten minutes elapse during the time that the steps (a) through (d) are cyclically repeated. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of cyclically repeating the steps (a) through (d) is performed at least twice per minute. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim  1  wherein the step of applying a partial vacuum pressure is performed using an electrically powered pump. 
     
     
       18. A system for passively exercising a selected portion of a human body, the system comprising: 
       (a) a pump configured for generating a partial vacuum pressure;  
       (b) a three-way valve having a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the second port is connected in fluid communication with an outlet of the pump, and the third port is connected in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure;  
       (c) a sealing device configured for providing a pressure seal over the selected portion of the human body, the sealing device being connected in fluid communication with the first port of the three-way valve so that when the second port is open, fluid communication is established between the sealing device and the outlet of the pump, and so that when the second port is open, fluid communication is established between the sealing device and atmospheric pressure; and  
       (d) an actuator configured for opening the second port or the third port in response to signals received from a control board.  
     
     
       19. The system of claim  18  further comprising a pressure regulator valve connected in series between the sealing device and the pump for controlling the maximum amount of vacuum pressure which may be communicated from the pump to the sealing device. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim  18  further comprising a pressure regulator valve connected in series between the sealing device and the pump for enabling a user to control the maximum amount of vacuum pressure which may be communicated from the pump to the sealing device. 
     
     
       21. The system of claim  18  wherein the sealing device is configured for sealing a portion of a human body selected from the group consisting of fatty tissue, muscle tissue, a breast, a penis, a portion of a leg, a foot, a portion of an arm, a hand, a portion of a back, a healing portion of skin, and a wrinkled portion of skin. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim  18  further comprising a source of substantially pure oxygen, the source having an outlet in fluid communication with the third port of the three-way valve for permitting the oxygen to pass into the sealing device when the pressure in the sealing device is released to atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       23. The system of claim  18  wherein the pump is an electrically powered pump. 
     
     
       24. A method for passively exercising a selected portion of a human body, the method comprising the steps of: 
       (a) applying a first absolute pressure to the selected portion of the human body, the first absolute pressure being less than atmospheric pressure;  
       (b) maintaining the first absolute pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a first predetermined period of time;  
       (c) releasing the pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body to a second absolute pressure greater than the first absolute pressure;  
       (d) maintaining the second absolute pressure applied to the selected portion of the human body for a second predetermined period of time; and  
       (e) cyclically repeating steps (a) through (d) to the selected portion of the human body.  
     
     
       25. The method of claim  24  wherein the step of applying a first absolute pressure to the selected portion of the human body further comprises controlling the maximum first absolute pressure with a pressure regulator. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim  24  wherein the steps of applying and releasing further comprise connecting a first port of a three-way valve in fluid communication with the selected portion of the human body, connecting a second port of the three-way valve in fluid communication with vacuum pressure, connecting a third port of the three-way valve in fluid communication with atmospheric pressure, and wherein the step of applying further comprises actuating the three-way valve so that fluid communication is established between the first port and the second port but shut off between the first port and the third port, and the step of releasing further comprises actuating the three-way valve so that fluid communication is established between the first port and the third port but shut off between the first port and the second port. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim  24  wherein the first absolute pressure is a partial vacuum pressure and the second absolute pressure is substantially atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim  24  wherein the first absolute pressure is a partial vacuum pressure and the second absolute pressure is non-atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim  24  wherein the step of cyclically repeating the steps (a) through (d) is performed at least twice per minute. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim  24  wherein the step of applying a first absolute pressure is performed using an electrically powered pump.

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